Sylvania



No. 770,604- PATENTED SEPT. 20, 1904 V. NELSON & R. NIGHOLLS.

RAILWAY TIE APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10,1904. N0 MODEL,

UNITED STATES Patented September 20, 1904.

PATENT -EEicE.

RAILWAY-TEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 770,604, dated September 2Q, 1904.

Application filed June 10, 1904. Serial No. 211,903. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, VIoToR NELsoN and ROBERT NICHOLLS, citizens of the United States, residing at McKeesport,in the countyof Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of track, illustrating the use of our invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof on line II II of Fig. 1, showing our improved tie on an enlarged scale. rails having been removed. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross-sectional views on the lines IV IV and V V of Fig. 3 in the direction of the arrows. Figs. 6 and 7 are longitudinal sectional views on the line VI VI and VII VII of Figs. 4 and 5.

Our invention refers to improvements in railway-ties for either steam or street railway service, and is designed to provide a tie which may be employed in combination with the usual wooden or other ties, so as to be located at the joints of the track only to support and secure the joints together without the necessity of any other connecting means.

Ordinarily the rails of a track are so laid that the joints of each line of rails shall be located about midway of the joints of the opposite rails, so as to break joint, and my invention is designed to provide a metallic tie which will engage the rail intermediate of its ends at one end of the tie and at the other end of the tie will embrace the meeting ends firmly, holding them in alinement with each other without any other securing devices than provided in the tie itself, providing ample bearing and sufificient latitude for expansion and contraction. The tie is also provided with means for facilitating the incorporation with the rails of ground current-wires and means for securing the separable portion of the tie to the body portion and to a supporting underneath tie, with other features of improvement, as shall be more fully hereinafter set forth. 7 Referring to the drawings, 2 is the body Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 2, the

portion of the tie, of suitable strength and weight in cross-section, made of forged or cast metal and adapted to be secured upon an under supporting-tie 8 by spikes 1, driven through holes in tie 2 into the tie 3 beneath. At one end the tie 2 is reinforced at its outer portion with an upwardly extending abutment 5, adapted to conform to the flange, web, and head portions of the rail 6 at one side, preferably extending partially above the lower outer side of the rail-head. 7 is a separable abutment set upon a fiat face 8 of the tie in alinement with the bottom of the rail-flange, to which it is secured by spikes 9, driven through holes 10 11 and into the wooden tie underneath, as clearly shown. The separable abutment also bears at its other end against a shoulder 12 on the tie and is shaped, like the outer abutment 5, to conform to the inner flange, web, and under portion of the head of the rail, not, however, extending quite so'high as the outer abutment in order to provide clearance for the wheelflanges. This construction enables the tie to be inserted in position into engagement with a rail or, vice versa, between its ends on account of the removable abutment. At the other end the tie is adapted to support the ends of both rails and is considerably wider and is provided with an outer and an inner abutment 13 14, with an inner space for the rail-flanges and web formed between opposing inner faces of the abutments adapted to conform to and firmly engage the flanges, web, and lower portion of the head of the rail, the inner abutment being preferably somewhat lower than the outer one for flange clearance. This construction is adapted for application to and making a joint with the meeting ends of the rails, each of which is inserted for a short distance at each side, so that as the track is laid the rails are easily incorporated with the tie at the double abutment end endwise, as will be readily understood. For the purpose of filling the space between the ends of the rails, allowing for expansion and contraction, we provide a filler 15, of rubber or other suitable material, of the same cross-section as the rail. This construction renders the laying of the track with our improved tie a comparatively easy matter. One or both of the abutments at each end is provided with an interior longitudinal groove or channel 16, adapted to provide clearance for a ground current-wire, such as is commonly used in electric-traction systems, the wire thus beingsecurely housed and protected and maintained along the web of the rail.

Our improved tie is very simple and cheap, durable, and well adapted to the objects in view, entirely eliminating the necessity of the usual fish-plates and bolts and will be appreciated by all those accustomed to this class of devices.

' What we claim is 1. A metal tie consisting of the combination of a body portion having abroad base and integral inner and outer abutments adapted to engage the rail at one end, a narrower base at the other end having an integral rail-bearing abutment and a removable abutment with means for securing said movable abutment in position, substantially as set forth;

2. A metal tie consisting of the combination of a body portion havinga broad base and integral inner and outer abutments adapted to engage the rail at one end, anarrower base at the other end having an integral rail-bearing abutment and a removable abutment, Wire grooves located on the inner faces of said abutments, and means for securing the removable abutment and the tiein position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we affiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

VICTOR NELSON. ROBERT NICHOLLS. Witnesses:

B1 A. HITOHENS, A. H. FREEMAN. 

